Ukrainian Offensive Falters

Western media headlined it. The New York Times said "Ukraine Push Against Rebels Grinds to a Halt." Things "unraveled in disarray."

An "entire contingent of 21 armored vehicles…surrendered or pull(ed) back…It was a glaring humiliation for the new government in Kiev. (Events) underscored (its) weakness."

The Wall Street Journal said "Ukraine's Efforts to Regain Control of East Sputter." Locals "halted army columns."

"The faltering 'antiterrorist' operation, launched a day earlier, leaves the government looking increasingly powerless in the face of separatists who are holding government buildings in as many as 10 cities close to the Russian border."

"The stumbling start underscored difficulties faced by the new government…(It) leaves Kiev with narrowing options."

"(M)uster(ing) more force…risk(s) further undermining its already shaky legitimacy in the east, as residents accuse it of sending soldiers against unarmed civilians."

"The Russian government must immediately call off its intelligence-diversionary groups, condemn the terrorists and demand that they free the buildings," he said.

Eastern Ukrainian activists aren't terrorists. "Who are you at war with," they asked soldiers? "With which terrorists?" Local residents are peaceful. They threaten no one.

One perhaps spoke for others, saying:

"Today, Ukrainian troops sided with the people. (T)roops sent to our city to suppress 'terrorism' " found none.

"We do not see any terrorism in our city. This means they have been sent to fight with peaceful civilians, with women and children…to fire at those women and elderly people who have gathered on the city's square."

"Before we had chance to talk with the boys, we had to feed them. It is because they threw those boys at us like kittens, to fire at us, but forgot to even provide them with food."

One soldier called himself a 25th paratrooper division member. "We are all boys who won't shoot our own people, he said.

Kathrin Hille is Financial Times Beijing correspondent. She shills for power. She headlined "Putin: Russia's great propagandist," saying:

He "annex(ed) Crimea." On March 18, he "lashed out against a 'fifth column' of 'national traitors' enlisted by the West to subvert Russia."